A Cozy Evening
by Duokai
Summary: While waiting for Ed and Al to return to Central, the visiting Winry accepts an offer to stay with Hawkeye. And soon they find that they have some things in common.


"He's very disciplined." Winry sat at the table in Riza Hawkeye's kitchen and watched the lieutenant go through the usual 'feeding the dog' routine. Which in Hawkeye's case had a clear resemblance to a military drill.

"I like it that way," Hawkeye smiled. "It's easier for both of us."

When the dog had gotten his food, Hawkeye started to remove their used plates from the table. Winry made a move to help her, but the older woman gestured to her to sit down again.

"You don't have to. It's not that much to wash up and you must be tired from the journey."

Winry Rockbell had come for a rare visit to Central, only to find that Ed and Al wasn't in the city. But according to lieutenant Hawkeye they were expected back soon, and for some unbeknownst reason she had offered Winry to stay with her instead of having to rent a room in a hotel.

"Um, you're sure I don't make you any trouble staying here?" Winry asked politely. "I mean, I don't want to interfere."

"Not at all. Central isn't the safest place right now, so we all want you in a safer place than a hotel. Besides, we don't know if it'll be one night or three before those two prefer to turn up. If they have found something interesting along the way, no one knows for sure. But you know that, of course."

The younger girl smiled at the memories. Yes, she knew for sure. Ed and Al weren't exactly what one would describe as the punctual type. It wasn't that they didn't cared about it. It was just that if they got interested in something, they forgot time totally. Not that she herself was very much better, of course. But it had always been easier for her grandmother to come and haul her out of her workshop than finding Ed and Al somewhere outside.

Hawkeye, who had finished doing the dishes, brought her back from her memories.

"Come, let's move to the big room." Although probably not meaning to sound like it, the tone was that of a command, not a proposal. "It's more comfortable and we can both need to relax a little."

The big room wasn't exactly big, Winry noticed. But it at least had space enough for a sofa and an armchair. When she slumped herself down in the soft chair, she felt the exhaustion from the train journey coming over her.

The dog came over to Riza, who was sitting in the sofa, and sniffed a few times at her leg before he jumped up beside her. The young lieutenant opened her mouth to say something, but apparently changed her mind and with a smile she let the dog's behavior pass. There seemed to be a limit to her military style after all, Winry thought.

Winry looked at the dog, now with his head muzzled in Hawkeye's lap.

"You know, sometimes I wish I was a dog," she said. "Not a worry in the world, and when you feel for it, you just find a nice human to curl up beside."

Hawkeye moved herself a little more to the center of the sofa and patted with a hand on the free space. "There's room for you too if you're jealous of him," she said with a warm inviting smile on her face.

Winry hesitated for a moment. Hawkeye was lieutenant Hawkeye after all, and they didn't knew each other that well. But she sure had a need to snuggle up to someone right now. With a weak smile, she moved over to the offered place in the sofa. Still, she was worried to interfere too much into Hawkeye's private sphere, so she remained seated upright with a small free space in between.

Apparently, this wasn't good enough for the young lieutenant, as she promptly in a relaxed fashion laid her left arm around Winry's shoulders.

"Come on, I wont bite you. Relax a little." With mild force she pulled Winry closer, so that her head was resting on Hawkeye's shoulder. It was sort of comforting, Winry admitted to herself, and she suddenly felt how tired she really was.

"You're worried for Ed and Al, aren't you?" Hawkeye's voice was calm and comforting and it wasn't as much a question as a statement.

She nodded.

"They'll be all right." Riza slid her hand through Winry's hair in a comforting way. "They have proven to be quite capable of taking care of themselves." She looked down on Winry. "I'm actually more worried of you, you know. You spend too much time worrying about them. Don't forget to live yourself."

She went quiet, looking into the air.

"In a way, you resemble me a lot," she continued. "We both spend a lot of time caring for someone. Trying to protect him. Even if we know it's almost impossible."

"It's just that sometimes I don't even know if he's aware of it."

Hawkeye smiled. "I know. Irritating, isn't it. You'd think that they at least could show a little more appreciation now and then. Sometimes I think they are morons, not seeing the obvious. But now and then there's that random glimpse that actually show that they are goodhearted and caring after all. Maybe it's just in their nature. They are both stubborn, you know. And deadly afraid to let their emotions hurt them any more. Or maybe they're afraid that they will end up hurting the ones they care for if they lose control of their emotions."

With Ed's past experiences Winry sure could see that as a plausible explanation. He really had more than enough reasons to think along those lines. But even knowing that, she couldn't really forgive him for it. Damn, that boy needed someone who cared about him. Just like she herself needed someone to care about her.

"Do you love him?" The question was direct, and even though Riza hadn't stated which of the boys she meant by 'him', Winry knew whom she was referring to.

"I… don't know," It sounded really stupid to answer in that way, but Winry wanted to be truthful to Riza. "In a way, I guess I do. But we have been together ever since we were small kids. They are both kind of like brothers to me. Most of the time I don't know what I feel."

There was a moment of silence when Winry just sat there, looking at nothing particular in mid-space.

"All I really know is that it feels really lonely when they're gone," Winry concluded. "It's so nice having someone to just talk to. I mean, sure, my grandmother is nice and all that, but she's from a different generation. Not like Ed and Al, or you for that matter. Sometimes I really feel I need someone to talk with, to laugh together with, to hug. And out there is no one." She knew she was tired when she rambled like this. Still it was so nice having someone who listened. Who understood.

They sat silent for a while, listening from the soft music by the radio orchestra. Winry had, without herself really noticing how it had happened, curled up against Riza and now rested her head on Riza's shoulder. She could hear Riza breathing. A soft, regular and comforting sound. At first Winry had been a little reluctant to accept Hawkeye's offer to stay, seeing the brusque military woman. But now she couldn't really believe that she had thought so. There was a very different Riza under the military front. A nice, caring person. After all the talking, Winry almost regarded Riza as an older sister. No, not really a sister. More like a soulmate. Someone you really could trust with your most private feelings. Someone you would like to spend your days with. She smiled at her own silly thoughts. She was tired now, that was sure. Her mind in the freewheeling state that occurs right before one goes to sleep. Winry fought her heavy eyelids for a while, but slowly her sleepiness took over.

When Winry woke up, she found herself lying with her head in Hawkeye's lap.

"Slept well?" Riza asked in a soft voice.

Winry stretched her muscles a little. "What time is it?" she asked, still sleepy-eyed.

"A quarter past eleven. So we better get you in bed, young lady." Riza moved Winry's head a little so that she could rise from the sofa. Before the still drowsy Winry had any chance to protest, Riza had lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom.

She tensed a little when she realized that Riza intended to help her of with her clothes. After all, she was a little too old to have someone put her in bed. Still, it was kind of nice, having someone who cared about her much enough to do that. Besides, she was dead tired, so she silently let her continue.

Not to mention that it felt really good. Especially whenever Riza's hands accidentally came in contact with Winry's bare skin. Which they seemed to do more than what was logical, actually. After all, taking of a blouse shouldn't really need to end up with her hands caressing her breasts. But she sure was glad it did. She closed her eyes and enjoyed every second of it. So when Riza's soft, caring hands suddenly disappeared, she knew she couldn't stay passive any longer.

"Please, Riza. Don't stop!" She was surprised over herself, saying those words. Still, that was what she wanted. She knew that.

And it seemed that Riza had nothing against continuing either.

When Hawkeye woke up, she could hear the faint noises from the outside, indicating that a new workday already had begun. What caught her immediate attention, however, was another sound. The sound of someone breathing. Breathing that in Riza Hawkeye's trained ears was a little too rapid to be coming from a person who was asleep for real.

"You're awake, aren't you?" Riza implied.

A muffled sound was heard from the pillow, where a muzzle of blond hair indicated that someone made her best to burrow her face in an effort to shield it from the daylight entering through the curtains.

"We better have to get up and get going. Ed and Al might have turned up, you know."

Winry was very close to saying that she hoped they hadn't, but realized in time how uncaring that would have sounded. Still, a few more nights staying at Riza's could be just what she needed. She yawned and stretched her arms in a satisfied fashion. Suddenly she felt a hand searching its way under the sheet, gently caressing her body along its path.

"Still jealous at the dog?" Riza asked jokingly.


End file.
